Shadow Magic
Where the world is life and light, the Shadowfell is death and gloom. Where the world is growth and vitality, the Shadowfell is decay and apathy. The world, being a point of ba lance, holds these darker elements too. But even the Shadowfcll's lighter side is beset with such sin ister components. The darker aspects of existence embodied in the Shadowfell contain fearsome power. Any magic laced with the essence of the plane of shadow already has dread on its side. Shadow magic is the stuff of fell legends, wielded by terrible villains. In stories it is the province of the desperate, the vicious, and the reckless. Such tales fall from the lips of the ignorant and the superstitious. Shadow magic is no more evil than any other magic. )( is attractive because it can be easier to acquire than other forms of power, but it is also demanding and damning. Divine power requires, at least initially, devotion to an external source. Arcane magic can entail study and hard work. Martial excellence comes through difficult training and mastery of refined techniques. Psionic power hones the mind in a similar way. Shadow magic, unlike all of the foregoing, requires simple surrender. Soul Sacrifice Those who wish to connect to the innate power of the Shadowfell must forge a strong bond with the plane. To do so requires nothing less than a shard of the supplicant's soul, given over to the unknown of death. How this gruesome task is accomplished varies among practitioners. "To tap into the powers of shadow, you must find that lightest part of your soul and use the following rites to kill it. Fear not . Light is only right. That piece simply goes ahead, in death, to that void of great mystery beyond all mortal cares. (May the rest of your soul never join it.) The power of shadow shall bleed into the hollow, making you anew. A darker you lives on, more potent than before .In a way, you have become my kin. Think not to become my rival." Soul Cairn The Soul Cairn is a location in The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard. It is a plane of Oblivion inhabited by souls and undead. It can be accessed via a portal in Castle Volkihar during, and after, the quest Chasing Echoes. When a soul is trapped in a Black Soul Gem and its energy used to power an enchantment, the remnant - the soul itself - is sent to the Soul Cairn. It is a place devoid of life - the only beings that exist there are souls, undead and the rulers of the realm, the Ideal Masters. The Ideal Masters are enigmatic entities that lord over the Soul Cairn, controlling every aspect of its being. It is believed that the Soul Cairn exists so that the Ideal Masters can collect souls and feed on them; some hypotheses even suggest they use the souls as a form of currency to an even higher power. The Soul Cairn is also home to powerful undead beings, which are highly sought after by necromancers. Souls are sent to the Soul Cairn by necromancers who wish to summon these undead, but in order to do so they must travel to the realm in person to finalize the deal with the Ideal Masters. They are often tricked, and many become trapped as harvested souls. The Lure of Shadow The promise of great power has lured many creatures to the art of shadow magic. Delving into shadow is a two-way street , a symbiotic relationship between its user and the plane of shadow. While shadow magic grants its user power, it also extracts a price from their soul. A power-hungry creature usually fails to realize its fate until the moment of its death. Sometimes, though , the lure of shadow looms much larger. A hero surrounded by enemies, a young wizard who unleashes a demon from within the sigils that bound it, and a thief caught in the act by guards all might hear the distant whisper of the Shadowfell. offering escape, power, or a sudden inspiration. When the shadow offers such gifts to mortals, it expects a much higher price in return. It is not content to merely wait for the time to claim a soul. The following section presents a set of optional rules for depicting the lure of shadow magic. When the characters are trapped in a desperate situation , one of them might hear shadow's call. Characters who answer it might gain the edge needed to survive, but at a price. Category:Schools of Magic